National
| Median wages (2008) |
$15.74 hourly, $32,730 annual |
| Employment (2006) |
25,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2006-2016) |
Little or no change (-2% to 2%)
|
| Projected need (2006-2016) |
7,000 additional employees |
47-5081.00 - Helpers--Extraction Workers
Help extraction craft workers, such as earth drillers, blasters and explosives workers, derrick operators, and mining machine operators, by performing duties of lesser skill. Duties include supplying equipment or cleaning work area.
Sample of reported job titles:
Driller Helper, Coal Miner, Maintainer, Blasting Helper, Continuous Miner Operator Helper, Longwall Machine Operator Helper, Miner Helper, Mining Technician, Salt Miner, Underground Miner
Tasks
- Repair and maintain automotive and drilling equipment, using hand tools.
- Observe and monitor equipment operation during the extraction process in order to detect any problems.
- Drive moving equipment in order to transport materials and parts to excavation sites.
- Clean up work areas and remove debris after extraction activities are complete.
- Organize materials in order to prepare for use.
- Provide assistance to extraction craft workers such as earth drillers and derrick operators.
- Dismantle extracting and boring equipment used for excavation, using hand tools.
- Unload materials, devices and machine parts, using hand tools.
- Load materials into well holes or into equipment, using hand tools.
- Signal workers to start geological material extraction or boring.
